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March from the German border and assault across the Aisne. May-June 1940.

In this place (Tournavaux) was found that the bridge was blown up but still was passable by infantry, also in the vicinity there was also a ford. At 11:40 hours Leutnant Reich arrived there with some parts of the 3. Company and the Commander of Pi Btl 5 returned to Linchamps, passing through Hautes Rivieres at 12:40 hours, where Leutnant Lange reported that the bridge allowed the passage of light vehicles. At 15:40 hours the Commander of Pi Btl 5 returned at Tournavaux and went towards the Meuse to reconnoiter between Montherme and Chau Regnault-Bogny. At 20:20 hours it was received the report stating that Leutnant Hauff was wounded while carrying out a reconnaissance and was evacuated, Oberst Faulenbach recommended him for the Iron Cross 2nd Class.

On May 15, 1940 at 00:15 hours on Hauptmann im Generalstab Schultze (Ia - Operations Officer of the division) brought the order that the division had to march to Revin, a town which was free of enemy as reported by Leutnant Blum of the AA 5. For this, the 1. / Pi Btl 5 was attached to IR 14, the 2. / Pi Btl 5 to IR 75 and the 3. / Pi Btl 5 at battalion's disposal.

March from the German border and assault across the Aisne. May-June 1940.

The vanguard of the Division, the IR 75 reinforced marched the 14 kilometers up to Revin, together with the detachment of the 1 GD (on the left the infantry on the right the gebirgsjäger), At 17:00 hours Leutnant Reich (3. / Pi Btl 5) returned from the reconnaissance, reporting about mines at the access to Revin and that the 1 GD was crossing by dinghies. At 23:30 hours on May 15, 1940 the bridging column reached the CP of the 5 ID and was sent to the crossing point of the 2. / Pi Btl 5, but due to traffic and blocking along the road reached the place on May 16, 1940 at 01:00 hours. The bridge column C had available at its disposal only 84 meters of bridges so the 1. / Pi Btl 5 had to build two makeshift rafts which were added the bridge of 4 tons, for in that place the river Meuse had a width of 93 meters. The work began at 01:30 hours.

In that place (Revin) the 5 ID crossed the Meuse River since May 16, 1940; at 05:50 hours was opened to the traffic the bridge of 4 tons. As the first element went across the 14. / IR 75 followed by the I. / IR 75, while the 1. / Flak Btl 55 provided anti aircraft cover. A cyclist patrol of the 3. / IR 75 under the command of Leutnant Probst received fire from Les Mazures, a town that was conquered by the I. / IR 75 under the command of Hauptmann Frhr. V. Mühlen. Heavy artillery and vehicles whose weight was greater than 4 tons had to cross by the bridge of 16 tons built in Fumay.

March from the German border and assault across the Aisne. May-June 1940.

On May 17, 1940 the Division organized two advance detachments, one under command of Oberstleutnant Golden (Pz Jäg Abt 5) marching along the route north of Vervins and the other further north the AA 5 (Rittmeister Niemack), both detachments were still 50 km behind the 6 Pz. The bulk of the division marched along the road Mezieres - Hirson. Leutnant Heckel came with the horses and other vehicles of the Pi Btl 5, which came marching in the rear from the start of the campaign. On May 18, 1940 at 08:30 hours the 3. / Pi Btl 5 was attached to Pz Jäg Abt 47 and returned in the evening, this company was attached again on May 19, 1940 at the same unit.

On May 20, 1940 the 5 ID together with the 25 ID next to the right and the 3 ID (III AK) on the left reached the river Aisne in the sector Braye in Laonnais (incl) and Guignicourt (excl), the front had 35 kilómeters. While around Festieux had been defeated in the rearguard of the 4 DCR (De Gaulle) by elements of the IR 75. Shortly before midnight it was reached the line which followed, the Oise-Aisne Canal and there the division went to the defense. During an assault against Mossy Chau was seriously wounded Leutnant Roetger (he died the next day and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class).

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March from the German border and assault across the Aisne. May-June 1940.

Defence in the Chemin des Dames.

On May 21, 1940 the Pi Btl 5 carried out reconnaissance on Berry au Bac, Beaurieux, Chemin des Dames, Hurtebise- and Poteau Fm, besides of blocking the bridges over the Aisne. The 1. / Pi Btl 5 was attached to the IR 14, the 2. / Pi Btl 5 to IR 56 and the 3. / Pi Btl 5 to IR 75.

On May 22, 1940 was uneventful and only was verified the blasting of the bridge over the Oise-Aisne Canal. On May 23, 1940 the IR 133 (45 ID) took over the left side of the division until Oeuilly (excl) and the left area of ​​obstacles secured by the IR 56 was delivered to Pi Btl 81 (Maj. Masuch). Toward the end of May 1940 the 5 ID defended with the IR 56 to the right, IR 75 in the center and the IR 14 to the left. On May 24, 1940, the 3. / Pi Btl 5 took over from the 1. / Pi Btl 25 a minefield located in the tunnel of the channel west of Maval Fm.

Hello to all ; Gajabhau you're welcome. Now more follows....................

Assault across the Aisne - Jun 1940.

On May 30, 1940 following the order of attack, the 5 ID regrouped again assuming the sector of Oeuilly-Maizy, the 1. / Pi Btl 5 took charge of the drawings of the minefields of Pi Btl 81 (45 ID). In turn the minefields and obstacles in the sector Moussy Chau and Moussy were taken by the Pi Btl 291. Between May 31 and June 01 1940 the Leader of the 1. / Pi Btl 5, Oberleutnant Barlet, reconnoitered the Aisne in Maizy.

On June 01, 1940 the 5 ID no longer belonged to the XVIII Geb AK and the 12 AOK, being subordinate to the VI AK (General d. Pioniere Förster) within the 2 AOK (General d. Kavallerie Fhr v. Weichs). On June 04, 1940 the division moved to its new readiness area for the attack in the sector Oeuilly (included) - Beaurieux (excluded) to the right was the 291ID belonged to another army and another army group (went on to the offensive on June 05), while to the left was deployed the 293 ID. The division was reinforced with AR 294 and Bridge Column B 14 for the crossing.

The plan of attack of the 5 ID stipulated that the IR 56 was to cross over the river to the left (being the main effort) advancing from the east and southeast, while the IR 14 to the right would do it from the west and southwest, the goal of the attack was the conquest of Height 163 by mean of a double envelopment, then the high ground located south and southeast of Glennes and then win the crossing of the Vesle in Courlandon. The day of attack was set for June 9, 1940. For the crossing the 1. and the 3. / Pi Btl 5 were attached to the IR 14 and the 2. / Pi Btl 5 to IR 56.

On the morning of June 9, 1940. In the northeast, begins to dawn on the Chemin des Dames. The sky, blue and cloudless, promises a hot summer day. Beneath the morning mist lying in the valley of the Aisne, the situation remains calm. After an hour there, the Rifle companies are ready to attack and the 1. Company (IR 14) will lead the assault as the main effort.

Everything is ready, we wait. There are still 30 minutes to go. The thoughts go back to the last weeks and days. Now, a month elapsed since we've started to move up to the trench warfare. Almost 3 weeks we have stayed between the Aisne and the Chemin des Dames, in a landscape that still bears traces of the Great War: Heroes cemeteries, abandoned positions, numerous shells' craters.

Beyond the river Aisne the enemy lurks continuously. Day after day we can follow the progress of their fortifications. The question arises in all of us: they will stand?, Because that is what we hope they do, after all they had declared war on us. The hostile infantry appears to be calm but very alert. The French artillery fire quickly and well. Yesterday evening just before dusk when we began moving to our readiness areas for the attack, large caliber projectiles fell unexpectedly. There were losses, and in the village to rear a few houses burned. In one of them exploded an ammunition dump but then everything returned to normal.

During the night the companies adopted its deployment for the attack; ammunition, equipment and pneumatic assault boats were transported to the edge of the Aisne. But on the other side no one seemed to realize it. On June 8, 1940 at 21:00 hours the 1. / Pi Btl 5 advanced by Vendresse towards the Aisne north of Cim re Natle, 1,500 meters west of Oeuilly. The CP of the Pi Btl 5 was moved to Cuissy-et-Geny next to the IR 14.

At 05:00 hours with a thunderous roar started the fire of preparation unleashed by the German artillery. Above the heads of the soldiers flew mortar shells towards enemy positions, while it could be listening the rattle of the heavy machine guns.

At 0530 hours began the crossing of the two front-line companies of the battalion. It was intense defensive fire from enemy artillery on the north bank and to the right on a bend in the river where it crossed the 1. Company, fired a French machine gun which remained invisible in the dense undergrowth growing on the shore. Disregarding the enemy fire, group after group venture across the river. A dinghy after another is destroyed. The Pi Btl 5 suffered 11 dead and 19 wounded in action.

Soon the company Leader, Oberleutnant Luther, with some of his men were on the other side, fighting against snipers and machine guns firing from all sides as they went into the forest, allowing the crossing of the rest of his company and then, all the battalion. The first prisoners began to arrive dazed and without understanding what happens on the river bank. Then the company hit an enemy strong point just before the canal - this position was key to the enemy's defense - several machine guns opened a withering fire at short distance on the attackers.

The first bursts brought down to the Leader of the Company, Oberleutnant Luther and with him fell also Leutnant Fezer and Uffz. Stumpp. Under intense fire from an invisible enemy coming from all sides, including the top of the trees, the casualties of the company were multiplied. Even the guards of the prisoners were wounded. This was used by the French to escape, rearm and resume the fight behind the Germans' back. Really a hell.

The III. / IR 14 on the right had reached the northern edge of Villers at 08:00 hours.

In this situation, in the fog, with no connection to rear, with an invisible enemy far superior, Feldwebel Brachat assumed command of the company. Even wounded, fought against the pockets of resistance and also guarded and supplied to the wounded men, preventing further losses. When, later, to the left, the Battalion's 2. Company under Hauptmann Goedecke advanced up to the level of the 1. Company, Feldwebel Brachat led the rest of his company back to battalion, which meanwhile had penetrated to the banks of the canal, where they could help in a firefight, at the crossing across the canal. He and his men have broken the resistance and the fighting spirit of the enemy, contributing significantly to the success of the attack. At 16:00 hours the 1. / IR 14 also crossed the Aisne Canal.

At nightfall the III. / IR 14 secured the railroad south of Merval and the I. / IR 14 was established liaison with the IR 56 at Height 163. Due to nests of enemy resistance, the bridge construction works were suspended and the III./ IR 75 raked the area but without success. Meanwhile advanced the AA 5 (Rittmeister Horst Niemack) which detached a mounted patrol (Leutnant Blum), a cyclist patrol (Oberleutnant Bettag) and a reconnaissance patrol to Savigny (Wachtmeister Hainle), the heavy squadron (Oberleutnant Steinhauser) was at Niemack disposal.

On June 10, 1940 at 08:30 hours the bank of the Aisne was reported free of enemies and at 09:00 hours arrived the first train of pontoons. At 12:00 hours an 8-ton bridge of 35 meters in lenght was ready about 200 meters west of the former which had been destroyed. The 3. / Pi Btl 5 swept a barricade of logs on the route east of Villers. A second bridge of 29 meters long was erected on the Oise-Aisne Canal at the height of the sugar factory.

On June 11, 1940 still resonate the shots, the 1. / Pi Btl 5 in charge of both bridges should continue as soon as possible behind the division to the Vesle, the 3. / Pi Btl 5 was attached to the pursuit detachment under Oberstleutnant Golden (Pz Jäg Abt 5). This detachment will establish a bridgehead south of the Vesle in Fismes.

Also in the assault on Hill 163 had fallen in action the commander of the IR 56, Oberstleutnant Heuschmid and the then commander of the I. / IR 75, Oberstleutnant Thumm assumed command of the regiment.

Hello to all ; a new history but this time on the Somme River................

Hard fighting in the South of the Somme - June 1940.........

After long and exhausting marches and suffering casualties sporadically, most of them by enemies air strikes, the German 44. ID reached the area of Albert on May 28, 1940 and the division was prepared to be committed on the front. The regiments were deployed on the Somme, where bloody battles took place in the previous war.

While on the French side, on May 31, 1940 the troops belonging to the French 41 RI were organized for the Defense South of the Somme as follows:

The I./41e in Foucaucourt-en-Santerre in the Centre; the II./41e in Herleville on the left and the III./41e in Fay and Soyécourt on the right.

On June 04, 1940 the 44. ID had been completed its plan of attack and the regiments occupied its starting positions. The intention of the division was to advance on the towns of Chuignolles (IR 131) - Herleville (IR 134) and Foucaucourt (IR 132), which were converted into strongpoints and take them by assault. These locations would be subjected to intense shelling by artillery and aerial attacks by the stukas. It was not yet clear whether the attack would be launched the next day...